Brian Cashman has made it clear he wanted to add a right-handed bat to the Yankees’ outfield mix this season. The front office just did exactly that, and it could spell trouble for Jasson Domínguez.

The Yankees signed Randal Grichuk in a minor-league deal as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. This new addition further threatens Jasson Domínguez’s chances of making it to the Yankees lineup. On an episode of Joel Sherman’s 3 Things I think, Sherman discussed how the Yankees’ signing Grichuk threatens Domínguez’s future at the franchise.

“Somebody whose chance to make the Yankees if everyone stayed healthy took another blow yesterday, not because of anything he did. But the Yankees signed Randal Grichuk to a minor-league contract,” He said. “Grichuk is a right-hand hitting outfielder. It kind of felt like one of the last things they wanted to add here. And so it removed another potential opening if Grichuk makes the team ”, Sherman further analysed.

The 34-year-old veteran outfielder the Yankees signed has a career total of 212 home runs and a .763 OPS. Last season, he slashed .228/.273/.674, splitting his time between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Kansas City Royals.

Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger are set to play every day. Therefore, the only open spot on the outfield without anyone being injured is a platoon partner for Trent Grisham. Though the Yankees have not yet guaranteed Grichuk a roster spot, his better right-hand bat gives him the upper hand over Domínguez.

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The split numbers tell the story. Randal Grichuk, a right-handed hitter, has built his value as a short-side platoon bat who thrives against left-handed pitching. Over his career, he owns a .819 OPS versus southpaws, compared to a .733 OPS against right-handers, showing a clear split advantage. Even in 2025, while he posted a .674 overall OPS in 113 games, his profile against lefties remained a key part of his appeal.

Domínguez, meanwhile, has struggled against left-handed pitching early in his MLB career while batting right-handed as a switch-hitter. For a Yankees team looking to maximize matchup advantages in a win-now window, that defined split edge gives Grichuk a real advantage.

Nicknamed the Martian, the Yankees signed Domínguez in 2019 when he was their top prospect. The switch-hitter played a career high of 123 games in 2025, hitting 10 home runs.

“He was nicknamed the Martian because he supposedly had otherworldly skills at such a young age, and he had comparisons to great players. And I think that all of that was very, very bad for Jasson Domínguez”, remarked Sherman.

Sherman believes the weight of expectations has put added pressure on the 23-year-old, even though he still sees the talent necessary for Domínguez to become a productive major league player.

At the same time, roster construction may ultimately dictate his immediate future. If everyone remains healthy, Grisham, Bellinger, and Judge would start in the outfield, with Giancarlo Stanton at designated hitter. In that scenario, Domínguez would likely be limited to a bench role with inconsistent at-bats.

This type of roster squeeze is not unfamiliar in the Bronx. During the Yankees’ 2023 Spring Training shortstop competition, veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa entered camp as a steady, experienced option, only for top prospect Anthony Volpe to surge ahead and claim the job. As camp unfolded, it became increasingly clear which direction the organization preferred, and Kiner-Falefa acknowledged he was no longer truly in the race.

With that precedent in mind, Domínguez’s situation now hinges on similar factors such as timing, performance, and organizational priorities. Consequently, speculation has begun to grow that he could open the season in Triple-A if the roster math does not break in his favor.

Speculations on Domínguez’s future

MLB insider Jon Heyman wrote on X, “Addition of righty hitting OF is more evidence Jason Domínguez may be ticketed to AAA to start season.”

Given how the Yankees built their 2026 lineup, they did not keep Jasson Domínguez in mind when assembling the roster.

Sherman also analyzed what advantages Grichuk has over Domínguez.

“Even though he (Domínguez) is a natural right-hand hitter, he was not well from the right side against lefty pitching in his brief Major League career. And his defense is not very good…He does not show very good instinct for playing the outfield.”

Grichuk, being a right-hitter, could solve all these problems. Sherman also noted that too many expectations were weighing down on Domínguez, which might have hindered him from reaching his full potential.

But it’s quite evident that the current Yankees lineup doesn’t really have a spot for Domínguez, and this might be the first step toward trading him.